


welcome home

by clicheusername5678



Category: Steven Universe (Cartoon)
Genre: Canon Compliant, F/F, Gen, Reformation, lapidot - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-18
Updated: 2018-07-18
Packaged: 2019-06-12 09:19:21
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15336729
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/clicheusername5678/pseuds/clicheusername5678
Summary: Lapis reforms quickly after the battle with the Diamonds, while Peridot lingers within her gem. The newest and bluest Crystal Gem considers her past, present, and future, and exactly where her barnmate fits in.





	welcome home

**Author's Note:**

> i'm not sure how long this'll be, probably a few chapters! canon-compliant, lapidotty goodness

Steven was beginning to worry about Lapis Lazuli.

She had always been sullen and aloof, save for the occasional emotional outburst or self-righteous declaration. She masked her trauma with snark and often seemed to be halfway present. Like the ocean, she was sometimes calm, sometimes raging, but never still.

Since reforming, Lapis had seemed to change. She had only been out of her gem for a day, but even Pearl admitted that she seemed off. Too heavy. Too still. Too weighed down to even consider flight.

So, as usual, Steven decided to have a talk with the ocean gem. Somehow, the two usually were able to help each other, despite their many differences—and besides, with the current drama, Lapis’ stillness was almost a welcome change.

“Hi,” Steven greeted Lapis as he settled beside her on the Temple’s roof. The blue gem nodded, acknowledging the boy’s presence, but continued staring up towards the clouds.

“Steven. Hey.”

“What’re you doing up here all on your lonesome?”

Lapis chuckled at the mock-Southern twang in Steven’s voice and finally turned her head. The sunlight illuminated the new golden highlights in her hair and brilliant glimmering specks within her large pupils.

“It’s a pretty afternoon,” Steven offered, glancing down towards the beach. “The Crystal Gems are cleaning up the wreckage from the wedding fight today, y’know, as a public service to Beach City.”

“Huh. That’s nice.”

“And you don’t have to worry about the Diamonds—they’re over at the Kindergarten today, I think, collecting information to take back to Homeworld. Don’t quote me on this, but they might actually be on our side… even if they kind of freak me out.”

“They do?”

“Well, yeah. They think I’m my mom. And a Diamond. And kind of dead?”

Lapis nodded. “That’s rough, buddy.”

“Lapis,” Steven said softly. “Are _you_ okay?”

The blue head lowered her head grimly. “I just don’t get it.”

“Get what?”

“How I reformed so quickly, but she…”

Steven blinked. “You’re talking about Peridot?”

“Pfft, yeah, weird. Did you know she interrogated me once?”

Steven wasn’t quite sure where this was going. “Mhm.”

“She sucked at it.”

“Really?”

Lapis grinned deviously. “Oh, yeah. She couldn’t make me say bunk. Jasper, though…”

Steven raised an eyebrow. Lapis usually didn’t like to name her fears. Maybe things really were changing.

“Are you unhappy with your new form?” Steven asked, referring to the subtle star alterations on Lapis’ usual halter dress. The blue gem shook her head.

“No, I… I like it. I just wonder if I… reformed too fast.”

Steven glanced thoughtfully towards the beach, where Garnet, Amethyst, Pearl, and Bismuth tended to the remains of Sour Cream’s DJ booth and Yellow Diamond’s ship. A small explosion occurred, throwing Garnet and Pearl backwards and eliciting belly laughter from Amethyst.

“I’ve seen someone reform too early before,” Steven recalled. “Amethyst. She just couldn’t sustain her form for more than, like, five minutes, before turning into a crazy monster.”

Lapis chuckled. “Wow. That’s a mood.”

Steven cocked his head. “Huh?”

“I dunno. It’s just something I read on Peridot’s tablet.”

"Well, for what it’s worth,” Steven said, “I don’t think your form is messed up. You might just _feel_ unsustainable… but that’s different.”

“Oh, great.”

“And with Peridot, well, Pearl says that everyone reforms at their own pace.”

“Yeah, that sounds like Pearl,” Lapis groaned, putting her chin in her hands. Steven frowned.

“Don’t be mean.”

“I… I’m sorry.”

There was an empty pause.

“I thought everything would go back to how it was,” Lapis admitted, “when I came back. But the barn’s gone, and there’s a new gem, and the Diamonds…”

“And Peridot’s gone,” Steven added. Lapis nodded solemnly.

“And Peridot’s gone.”

“Not for good, though—I’m sure she’ll be back any minute, hour, day!”

Lapis shuddered. “I—I’m scared, though. Of her coming back. Of facing her.”

“What? Why?”

“I was so unfair to her. _So_ unfair. She tried so hard for me. Why? I’m a coward, especially compared to her. Mean, just like you said.”

Steven thought it through. “You were only mean to her when you first got to the barn, though. And you were recovering, from the interrogation, and Jasper, and the mirror. Then you forgave her, and she forgave you. It’s okay.”

“But then I left!” Lapis exclaimed, more emotion consuming her expression than Steven had seen since her reformation. “After how she bent over backwards to make me comfortable. I couldn’t ever really see the world how she did, but she tried, and I liked… I liked being there, with her.”

“Peridot believes in Earth,” Steven said. “In the human race. In the Crystal Gems. Don’t you?”

“I don’t know what I believe in. Not much. Not in the Diamonds, or Rose Quartz, or even Amethyst, Garnet, or Pearl.”

“Mirror grudge runs deep, huh?”

“I’m the worst.”

“No. We all have things we’re ashamed of. I really hurt Connie a while ago. Amethyst plays horrible pranks on Pearl all the time. Lion tried to eat Pumpkin last week—”

“He _what?_ ”

“It’s okay, they’re both fine.”

“Well, Veggie Head’s kinda lost it anyway,” Lapis mused, glancing down towards the house. Pumpkin hadn’t left Peridot’s gem’s side since she had been brought in to rest on the couch. While Lapis had reformed quickly and received some love from the sentient vegetable, it was clear that Pumpkin was really pining for her greener guardian.

“What are you gonna do?” Steven asked, not sure what else was left to say. Lapis blinked.

“Be better. To her. To all of you. Yeah, I’ve felt bad, but… that’s not really an excuse? Even if I feel miserable, like, most of the time… I don’t want to take the ones who actually make me feel good for granted.”

“I think you mean,” Steven postulated, “for _granite_.”

Lapis wilted as Steven strained an awkward grin. “It’s rock pun,” the young boy explained. The blue gem nodded.

“I know.”

“Usually dumb jokes work with you.”

“Must be ‘cuz I’m a dumb joke.”

Steven crossed his arms. “No, you’re not! You’re a super-cool rebel gem who dropped an entire barn on a Diamond and resisted a mega-ray of sadness. And you can fly.”

Lapis sighed. “Yeah, you guys have seen plenty of me flying away. I am such a chicken.” Surprisingly, the blue gem proceeded to chuckle. “Heh. Peridot likes chickens.”

“And she likes you.”

It was difficult for Steven to ignore the dark-blue blush spreading onto Lapis’ cheeks. “And you…?”

Lapis grinned, a relief from her normal tense expression, a goofy venture into the land of being okay. “Yeah. I do.”

Steven shrugged. “Then why worry?”

“Steven. It’s what I _do_.”

“You’d be a good candidate for Garnet’s future vision, huh?”

Lapis sighed. “I just… wanna show her how much I really do care. When she shows up.”

“Give her time. Maybe she needs it.”

“Yeah. She did get hit pretty hard by that destabilizer. And my abandonment, I'm guessing.”

“She listened to so much country music,” Steven admitted, shuddering. Lapis frowned. 

“Never heard of that.”

“Maybe you two can listen together.”

Lapis smiled at the thought, and Steven took her by the hand. “Meanwhile, though… let’s go help the other Crystal Gems on the beach.”

The ocean gem stood, took a deep breath and regarded the house below her. “Good idea. We’ve got a lot here to protect.”

Steven squeezed tightly as Lapis gave him a lift down, her water wings prismatic in the morning light. They walked forward, together, and it all seemed to flow again.


End file.
